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Daspletosaurus
Daspletosaurus (name meaning "Frightful Lizard") is a genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now western North America. Measuring around 10 meters long at maximum and weighing almost 4 tons, Daspletosaurus was the third-largest tyrannosaur. Closely related to the much larger Tyrannosaurus, like most tyrannosaurids, Daspletosaurus was a multi-tonne bipedal predator equipped with dozens of large, sharp teeth. Daspletosaurus had the small forelimbs typical of tyrannosaurids. In the episode "Lake Primal", a single female Daspletosaurus chased Allen and Becca through the time portal rather than having it brought back. It chased them until it was captured and eventually put into its enclosure in Tyrannosaur Kingdom. Facts Era & Discovery Daspletosaurus lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous period, from 77–65 million years ago. An apex predator, Daspletosaurus was at the top of the food chain, preying on ankylosaurs, ceratopsians, and the hadrosaurs. In some areas, Daspletosaurus coexisted with two other tyrannosaurids, Gorgosaurus and Albertosaurus. Daspletosaurus was discovered in 1921 near Steveville, Alberta, by Charles Mortram Sternberg, who thought it was a new species of Gorgosaurus. It was not until 1970 that the specimen was fully described by Dale Russell, who made it the type of a new genus, Daspletosaurus. Physical Attributes Daspletosaurus was a very large predator. In fact, it was the third-largest member of the tyrannosaur family, after Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex itself. Adults grew to stand 11–15 feet (3–4 m) tall at the hips, measured over 26–35 feet (8–10 m) long snout to tail, and weighed around 3–4 tons (6,000–8,000 lbs), making Daspletosaurus one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs ever to walk the Earth. Daspletosaurus shared the same body form as other tyrannosaurids; a short, S-shaped neck supporting a massive skull; walking on two thick hindlimbs; extremely small forelimbs baring only two digits; a long, heavy tail served as a counterweight to the head and torso, with the center of gravity over the hips. An adult Daspletosaurus was armed with around six dozen teeth that were very long and blade-like. Behavior & Traits Like many tyrannosaurids and other theropod dinosaurs, Daspletosaurus lived and hunted in packs, of around 3 to 4 individuals. When hunting, one member of the pack would chase their selected prey, separating them from the herd, and chase them towards the other awaiting members of the packs. Once done, the hidden pack members burst out from their hiding places and struck out, killing their prey instantly. Female Daspletosaurus were very protective of their young. However, despite their ability to hunt in packs, Daspletosaurus were also cannibals. Gallery Screen shot 2013-02-22 at 12.39.35 AM.png Screen shot 2013-02-22 at 12.39.46 AM.png Trivia *''Daspletosaurus'' was the fourth tyrannosaur brought to the park. *The sound effects of Daspletosaurus are that of a snow leopard, peacock, crocodile, and an elephant. *The Daspletosaurus featured in the series are larger than their real-life counterparts. In reality, they were roughly the same size as tyrannosaurs like Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus. Category:Prehistoric Animals Category:Dinosaurs Category:Reptiles Category:Carnivores Category:Cretaceous Wildlife Category:Cretaceous Dinosaurs Category:Tyrannosaurs Category:Apex Predators Category:Largest Carnivorous Dinosaurs Category:Theropods